World news | The Guardian

First minister John Swinney under fire over public services and cost of living during ill-tempered TV showdownAnas Sarwar has said there will be no austerity under a Labour government as he fended off accusations from the SNP during an ill-tempered BBC Scotland leaders' debate.The first minister and SNP leader John Swinney repeatedly claimed on Tuesday evening that independent experts said there would be 18bn of cuts after this election whether the Conservatives or Labour party form the government". The audience loudly applauded Sarwar when he countered: Read my lips: no austerity under Labour." Continue reading...

Ban This Book by Alan Gratz banned in Indian River county after opposition from parents linked to Moms for LibertyA book about book bans has been banned in a Florida school district.Ban This Book, a children's book written by Alan Gratz, will no longer be available in the Indian River county school district since the school board voted to remove the book last month. Continue reading...

Following a mystery disappearance sparking outrage and rumour, the original damaged and fragile figure has been replaced by a very fine' copyA shadow has been lifted over a corner of Paris: Voltaire is back in the City of Light.The statue of the 18th-century philosopher, a key figure of the Enlightenment, vanished from its plinth almost four years ago, sparking a series of increasingly sombre rumours. Continue reading...

Joining founding guitarist Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay in new five-piece lineup for November tour will be Mudhoney singer Mark Arm

Leaders of Scotland's five main political parties clash during live TV debate

Mette Frederiksen gives first interview since assault, saying it was a kind of attack on us all'Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has said she is still not doing great" but will continue to work, in her first interview since she was assaulted in a Copenhagen square last week.Frederiksen, 46, suffered minor whiplash in the attack last Friday, which is not thought to have been politically motivated. A 39-year-old Polish man was detained on suspicion of assault. Continue reading...

Cubs killed by cars earlier in the day before spooked Nakoda ran on to highway, where another vehicle struck herNational park staff in Canada are mourning the devastating" loss of a rare white grizzly bear and her cubs after all three were killed in separate vehicle collisions on the same day.The bear formally referred to as GBF178 but named Nakoda by locals had in recent months been spotted with her two cubs foraging on spring dandelions along a stretch of highway between Lake Louise and Yoho national parks. Continue reading...

Eric Ciotti's announcement welcomed by Marine Le Pen as brave choice' but seen as betrayal by members of mainstream rightThe leader of France's mainstream right has said he would back an alliance with the far right in the snap legislative elections later this month, shocking opponents and party members and throwing French politics into further disarray.Eric Ciotti's announcement, welcomed by Marine Le Pen as a brave choice", is a historic departure for the opposition right and sparked accusations of betrayal from high-profile members of Les Republicains (LR). Continue reading...

Backed by Annie Lennox and Susan Sarandon, Daly had appeared on state-leaning media in China and RussiaClare Daly, Ireland's outspoken and controversial Dublin MEP candidate, has lost her seat despite celebrity endorsements from Annie Lennox, Susan Sarandon and other prominent figures.The leftwing candidate was eliminated on Tuesday after falling behind rival candidates in the Dublin constituency on the 17th count. Continue reading...

Critics say funding of Tory manifesto's policies is implausible' and they would mainly benefit wealthier votersRishi Sunak has unveiled a 17bn tax giveaway as the centrepiece of the Conservative manifesto, an offer that was immediately condemned for being implausible" and mainly benefiting wealthier voters.The policy programme set out by the prime minister, seen by many Tory MPs as probably the party's last big chance to win over voters, contained few big surprises and was centred around cuts to national insurance and stamp duty, higher thresholds for child benefit and help for pensioners. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president appeals in Berlin for funding to repair and rebuild energy infrastructure and for defence

Aaron Myers, 51, faces second-degree murder charge in fatal shooting of Hazrat Ali Rohani, 17, at Big 5 store in RentonA teenager who tried to return a malfunctioning replica gun that shoots plastic projectiles to a sporting goods store in Washington state was shot to death by an off-duty security guard who believed the boy was holding a real gun and planned to rob the business, according to authorities.The man arrested in the killing, 51-year-old Aaron Myers, told police that he was not working at the time he shot and killed Hazrat Ali Rohani, who was returning a malfunctioning airsoft gun to the Big 5 store in Renton. But he had offered to keep watch due to alleged rising crime in the area. Continue reading...

More grave violations' committed in occupied territories and Israel than anywhere else in world, report saysMore grave violations against children were committed in Gaza, West Bank and Israel than anywhere else in the world last year, according to a UN report due to be published this week.The report on children and armed conflict, which has been seen by the Guardian, verified more cases of war crimes against children in the occupied territories and Israel than anywhere else, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria and Sudan. Continue reading...

Alex Chisholm, who led business office during Hinkley Point C negotiations, appointed UK chair of energy firm

Port that processes the most cars and farm equipment in US opens to original depth and width after 26 March incidentThe main shipping channel into Baltimore's port has fully reopened to its original depth and width following the 26 March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which blocked most maritime traffic into the harbor.Officials announced the full reopening in a news release Monday evening. It comes after a massive cleanup effort as crews removed an estimated 50,000 tonnes of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River. Continue reading...

Two Animal Rising supporters cover monarch's face with Wallace character in protest against RSPCA-assured farmsAnimal rights activists have pasted a picture of the stop-motion cartoon character Wallace, from Wallace and Gromit, over the new portrait of King Charles, in a protest highlighting alleged cruelty at RSPCA-accredited farms.Two supporters of the group Animal Rising entered the Philip Mould gallery in central London after midday on Tuesday and carried out what they described as a comedic redecoration" of the portrait with apparently self-adhesive posters pressed into place with paint rollers. Continue reading...

Coal and gas-fired power plant owners say interim target an important step to net zero by 2050

Calls intensify for the federal government to fully explain why it no longer publishes the information

Sydney house rents still nation's highest but an expected rise in vacancy rates this winter could provide some relief to tenants, expert says

Ukraine has fulfilled all necessary reform requirements to join bloc, European Commission president saysRussian tactical nuclear drills were made necessary by the tensions in Europe and the hostile actions of the US and European powers, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.Peskov told a briefing that drills such as the ones Russia is carrying out together with Belarus were normal practice. Continue reading...

Official briefed by mediators says that neither Hamas or Israel has yet given a formal response to US-backed planIsrael's military has said it has intercepted some of a barrage of about 50 projectiles fired towards the Golan Heights from the direction of Lebanon. In a statement the IDF said:Following the sirens that sounded in northern Israel a short while ago, approximately 50 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into the area of the central Golan Heights. The IDF aerial defense array successfully intercepted a number of the projectiles. The rest of the launches fell in open areas. No injuries were reported. Continue reading...

Marine Le Pen congratulates brave choice' from Les Republicains' Eric Ciotti amid manoeuvring ahead of snap general electionAround one in two voters took part in the European elections last week, with the latest data showing turnout almost static.According to figures released by the European parliament on Tuesday, the 2024 turnout was 50.93%, a tiny improvement on the 50.66% reported in 2019. Continue reading...

Masoud Pezeshkian must convince disillusioned voters that he represents chance for credible changeThe one reformist candidate in Iran's presidential election, a 69-year-old doctor who raised his three children alone after his wife died in a car accident, faces an uphill but not impossible battle to convince a disenchanted Iranian electorate that he represents a chance for credible change.Masoud Pezeshkian, an MP for 20 years, was given clearance to stand by the 12-strong Guardian Council on Sunday and has until 28 June to reach the second round of the elections called after president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. No reformist was allowed to stand in the presidential election four years ago. Continue reading...

Ministers have rejected calls to suspend arms exports to Israel despite objections from campaign groups

Most miscarriage of justice victims will still be denied compensation after two men lose test case in StrasbourgMost victims of miscarriages of justice will still be denied compensation in Britain after the European court of human rights ruled the government's test for payouts was lawful.A test case was brought by Sam Hallam and Victor Nealon, two men who between them served 24 years in prison for crimes they were later exonerated of. Neither was paid any compensation by the government despite new evidence being enough to overturn their convictions. Continue reading...

Wreckage of plane carrying Chilima and former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri found after weather warnings, says President ChakweraMalawi's vice-president, Saulos Chilima, and nine other people have been killed in a plane crash, the country's president, Lazarus Chakwera, said in a live televised address.The wreckage of the military plane carrying Chilima and the former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri to a funeral was found in a mountainous area in the north of the country on Monday. Continue reading...

Disgraced paedophile pop star told to pay 508,800 in damages including for lost earnings and future therapyThe disgraced paedophile pop star Gary Glitter has been ordered by a high court judge to pay 508,800 in damages to one of the women he abused.Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is being sued after his 2015 conviction for abusing the claimant and two other young people between 1975 and 1980. Continue reading...

About one in four people stopped at border had some data copied from their devices by Australian Border Force

Commonwealth ombudsman's report says another five people inappropriately detained' in 2022-23, though numbers are falling

Nepali people in Sydney reeling after second drowning incident affecting community in past fortnight

Closing arguments begin in trial of former pilot, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Dennis Henry, 61, granted leave to remain after almost four decades of struggling to secure his immigration statusA Jamaican man in his 60s who arrived in the UK at the age of 23 has been granted leave to remain after four decades of struggling to secure his immigration status. But he will not be able to apply for British citizenship for another decade.Dennis Henry, 61, came to the UK in January 1986 to join members of his family. He was an apprentice tailor and dreamed of a career as an engineer in the music industry. He arrived on a six-month visa and was unsuccessful in attempts to regularise his status because, like some members of the Windrush generation, he was unable to evidence his years of residency in the UK. Continue reading...

ANZ first big bank to push prediction of Reserve Bank interest rate cut into 2025

Beverley McLachlin's resignation comes after British judge Lord Sumption also quit court of final appeal, condemning impossible political environment'A former chief justice of Canada's supreme court has announced she is stepping down from Hong Kong's court of final appeal - the latest in a string of resignations amid concerns about judicial independence from China.Beverley McLachlin, 80, said she was leaving the territory's top court to spend more time with her family but still held confidence in the members of the court, their independence and their determination to uphold the rule of law". Continue reading...

Treasurer Cameron Dick makes deliberate choice' to put budget into deficit to fund temporary cost-of-living relief including cheap public transport

The airline has said that anyone who sustained serious injuries on SQ321 last month could be entitled to a larger paymentSingapore Airlines has offered US$10,000 compensation payments to passengers who suffered minor injuries during a flight last month that hit sudden, extreme turbulence.On Tuesday, the airline announced that it had sent compensation offers to passengers who were on board flight SQ321 from London to Singapore on 20 May, which dropped 54 metres in altitude in less than five seconds while flying over Myanmar. Continue reading...

Standup comedian says men appear to be handed late-night shows while women are relegated' to daytime TVThe comedian Katherine Ryan has lamented the lack of female late-night chatshow hosts in the UK in an interview for Grace Dent's Comfort Eating podcast.Ryan, a standup comedian who has appeared in UK panel shows and sitcoms, including The Duchess on Netflix, said men appear to be handed late-night shows while women tended to feature more in daytime TV. Continue reading...

Nicholas Sampson claims Four Corners story that led to his resignation was wildly inaccurate' and biased'

The far right has made significant gains in the European parliament elections. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has responded with a high-stakes gambleAs the results of the EU elections came in, the shocks kept coming. In France, Germany and Italy the far right made serious gains. Just under a quarter of MEPs in the European parliament will be drawn from these parties. But outside the biggest countries the picture was more complicated - in some places, the centre parties held their ground, in others, the left did well.The biggest fallout has been in France. Macron saw the surge in the far-right votes as a direct challenge to his rule and his response was to call snap elections for the French parliament. Why has he taken such a huge gamble and what could all this mean for France - and the direction of Europe? Continue reading...

President speaks of heartbreaking situation' after aircraft carrying Saulos Chilima and nine others goes missing in bad weatherSoldiers are searching mountainous forests in northern Malawi after an aircraft carrying vice-president Saulos Chilima and nine others went missing on Monday.The plane carrying Chilima, former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri and eight others left the capital, Lilongwe, at 9.17am and had been expected to land 45 minutes later at Mzuzu international airport, about 370km (230 miles) to the north. Continue reading...

Employees voiced frustrations at how the administration process had been conducted, sources say

Degrees often derided as low-value' or Mickey Mouse' subjects are praised as vital to UK's 108bn creative industriesMedia and communications studies, often derided as soft", low-value" or Mickey Mouse" subjects, are in fact popular, dynamic and have profound impact", according to a report.The British Academy study says that rather than being low value", such courses play a vital role in the UK's 108bn creative industries and have become increasingly relevant in a world grappling with new technologies, artificial intelligence and the dangers of disinformation. Continue reading...

GMB poll receives reports of workers being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringesOne in three Asda staff have been attacked at work, according to research that included reports of workers being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes.The poll of almost 1,000 members of GMB, one of the UK's biggest unions, returned stories of delivery drivers being chased by people in cars, while store workers had food thrown at them. More than half (58%) of respondents said they had suffered injury or illness on the job. Continue reading...

Party's proposals involve about 140m to refurbish school classrooms, but nothing extra to increase staffing

Party figures including Braverman and Jenrick waiting to see how public responds to pledges, insiders sayConservative rightwingers are planning to present Rishi Sunak with demands for tougher action on immigration and human rights law before the election if the prime minister's manifesto promises on Tuesday fall flat.Prominent party figures including Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick are said by Tory insiders to be among those waiting to see how the manifesto is received by the public before they act. Continue reading...

Only Russia abstains in vote on plan calling for hostage and prisoner swap in six-week ceasefire leading to wider dealThe UN security council has adopted a resolution calling for Hamas to agree to a three-phase hostage-for-ceasefire proposal outlined by Joe Biden, the first time the body has endorsed a comprehensive peace deal to end the Gaza war.A Hamas statement said the group welcomed the resolution, though it was not immediately clear if that meant the leadership in Gaza accepted the ceasefire plan. Continue reading...

Man shot in chest by officer while attempting to flee police who had forced speeding vehicle to stopFrench police are questioning an officer after the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man as he fled an attempted control of a vehicle for speeding, prosecutors said.It was the latest incidence of alleged police violence against suspects that has prompted protests in recent years by critics citing heavy-handed tactics, in particular against people from ethnic minorities. Continue reading...

PM acknowledges in BBC Panorama interview to air tonight that it is a challenge for people to buy their first home

Taxes, D-day, Farage and NHS waiting lists were all on the agenda as the prime minister jousted with Nick RobinsonRishi Sunak was the first party leader to sit down with the BBC's Nick Robinson for the broadcasters's series of long-form election interviews. Here are the key points from the PM's grilling. Continue reading...

Fears of negative press outweighed by sadness and disbelief after TV presenter's body was found five days after he went missingThank God we found him." Seated in his black leather office chair, surrounded by icons, oil paintings, photographs, medals and models ships, Lefteris Papakaloudoukas, Symi's longtime mayor, is clearly relieved.It's 9am and almost 24 hours have elapsed since the body of the TV presenter Michael Mosley was found lying in a gulley of rocks and thistle only metres from the sea, beneath the perimeter fence of a beach bar. Continue reading...